Joist support



Dec 3a 1 E; W' WILEY JoIsT SUPPORT Filed July 27, 1935 5362552 Edu/@70.7

Ilnllllll Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 10 Claims.

This invention relates to a joist support, and more particularly to means for properly supporting a joist after shrinkage thereof.

One feature of this invention is that it forms a supporting means for a joist; another feature of this invention is that it maintains the upper surface of the joist, in contact with the flooring, in the desired position relative to the supporting wall; still another feature is that any vertical shrinkage of the joist is automatically compensated for by the supporting means; other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a joist and supporting means; Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View along the line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but after shrinking of the joist; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line 5 of Fig. 1.

Wooden joists, and combinations of wooden and steel joists, have long been used to support floors and ceilings between rooms. Where single flooring is used, for example, a row of joists rests on supporting beds in recesses in the walls of the building, and receives the floor boards on their upper surfaces and the ceiling on the under side. Any longitudinal shrinkage or expansion of the joists merely shifts the positions of the ends slightly in or out of the recesses in the walls. Vertical shrinkage, however, has proved to be a serious difficulty, Ain that when the joist shrinks vertically the upper surface drops down, and consequently the flooring separates from the wall above it. This invention obviates the above difficulty by maintaining the upper surface of the joist at the same vertical level with respect to the wall and the supporting bed, despite any vertical shrinkage in the joist. This is accomplished by a wedge-member inserted between the bottom of the joist and the supporting bed in the wall, and by automatic means for drawing in the wedge to compensate for any vertical shrinkage of the joist.

In the particular embodiment of the invention illustrated herewith, the reference numeral IIJ indicates a joist of conventional shape. The joist I Il has an upper surface II, a bottom I2, and sides I3. A box-member or supporting means I4 is adapted to surround the end of the joist I 0, immediately adjacent the sides I3, and to be received by a recess I5 in the wall I6, which wall may be of brick, mortar, or any other common material. The bottom of the supporting means rests on the supporting bed I'l, which bed is the lower portion of the recess I5. The supporting means I4 is preferably formed of sheet metal, and has anges I8 and I9 which serve as strengthening members. The joist is attached to the supporting means l4 near the upper end thereof, as by the nails 20. These nails are preferably staggered slightly vertically, in order to prevent splitting the joist.

In the bottom of the supporting means I4 is a supporting member 2I having a horizontal upper surface 22 on which the bottom I 2 of the joist I0 rests. The supporting member has an inclined surface 23 adapted to cooperate with a similarly inclined surface on the wedge-member 24. The supporting member 2| and the wedgemernber 24 are both recessed to receive a yielding resilient member, here shown as a coil spring 25. The spring 25 is attached to the back of the supporting means I4, as by the pin 26, and to the wedge-member 24, as by the yoke member 21. The spring is chosen of such length as to be under considerable tension when the wedgemember 24 and the supporting member 2I are in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, the position 20 in which they would be when first inserted in the building.

In order to prevent the spring 25 from drawing the wedge-member 24 in, and thus forcing the supporting member ZI upwards, the wedge-member is retained in the position illustrated in Fig. 3 by the screw 28. The supporting means may be thus slipped over the end of the joist, the joist allowed to settle until the bottom I2 rests upon the upper surface 22 of the supporting member ZI, and the nails 20 then driven in to secure the joist in its proper position. The screw or locking means 28 is then removed, and the wedgemember 24 is then free to be drawn in by the spring 25 to compensate for any vertical shrinkage in the joist. Ratchet teeth or locking means 29 are formed in the bottom of the supporting .means I4, and a ratchet-tooth or locking member 30, mounted on the wedge-member 24, is adapted to cooperate therewith. The bottom of the supporting means I4, being formed of sheet metal, forms a good contact with the supporting bed in the wall, although a wall plate may be used if desired.

The operation of the invention described and illustrated will be readily understood from the following description of its use and action, particularly as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. As mentioned heretofore, the joist is inserted in the supporting means I4 with the bottom I2 resting upon the upper surface 22 of the supporting memberZI, and adjusted so that the flanges of the supporting means I4 are substantially flush with the surface of the wall into which the supporting means and joist are to be recessed. The joist is then fastened to the supporting means I4, near the upper end thereof, by the nail 20. The joist and supporting means are then inserted into the recess in the wall I6, with the bottom of the supporting means resting upon the supporting bed I'I in the wall, or upon a wall plate, if such plate is used. The screw or locking means 28 is then removed, and the wedge-member 24 is free to draw into the supporting means I4. When vertical shrinkage occurs in the joist, the supporting means I4 and the nails 20 form a temporary support for the upper surface of the joist, and the bottom l2 of the joist-moves upward, rather than the upper surface I I of the joist moving downward, since the upper surface l-I is maintained temporarily i-n the desired position by the temporary supporting means I4. kImmediately upon any upward movement of the bottom I 2 of the joist, the spring 25 draws in the wedgemember 24 and raises the supporting member 2I, thus keeping it in firm contact with the bottom I2 of the joist, as illustrated in 4i. AS soon as the wedge-member 24 has moved inward, the ratchet member 30 engages one of the ratchet-teeth 29, and prevents any subsequent outward motion of the wedge-member 24. The supporting member 2| and the wedge-member 24 thus carry any heavy loads which may be transmitted to the joist from the floor above, and the supporting means I4 serves merely as a 'temporary support 'for the normal floor load to permit the wedge-member V24 to be drawn in as the joist shrinks. Were the entire floor load to be carried by the supporting means I4, rather than by the member 2i and wedge 24, a Ymuch stronger con-- struction of the supporting' means would be necessary.

For example, even if the supporting means I4 were strong enough to carry a certain dead load, it might fail under some unusual live load or shock; but with the member 2I and the wedge 24 always tight under the joist, the possibility of failure is eliminated. For example, the failure might be caused by a splitting of the `end of the joist if the support were lfurnished only by the supporting means I4.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is 'to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and 1arrangement may be made without departing 'from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent 'in my invention 'as broadly as possible in view of the prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In combination with a 'joist and a supporting bed therefor: means for temporarily `supporting the upper portion of said joist in correct position with respect to the supporting bed to permit shrinkage of the lower portion of :sai-d joist away Vfrom said supporting bed; 4wedgemeans between the supporting bed and the bottom 'of the joist; and means for 4automatically moving said wedge-'means as the joist shrinks to fill the space between said bottom and said supporting bed.

2. In combination with 'a joist and a supporting bed therefor: means for temporarily supporting 'the upper portion of said joist from said supporting bed in correct position with respect to said supporting bed to permit shrinkage 'of the lower portion o'f vsaid ljoist away from said supporting bed; supporting wedge-means between the supporting vbed and the lower surface of the joist; and means for automatically moving said supporting wedge-means as the joist shrinks to fill the space between its lower surface and the supporting bed.

3. In combination with a joist and a supporting bed therefor: means for temporarily supporting the upper'portion of said joist in correct 5 position with respect to the supporting bed, said means resting upon said bed; supporting wedgemeans between the lower surface of the joist and the` bottom of said temporary supporting means;

a supporting member adjacent the lower surface 10 of said joist and adapted to cooperate with said wedge-means; and means for automatically moving said supporting wedge-means as the joist shrinks to maintain said supporting member in supporting engagement with the lower surface of 15 `said joist.

4. In combination with a joist and a supporting bed therefor: means for tempor-arily supporting the upper portion of said joist in correct position with respect to the supporting bed, said V20 means including a sheet-metal box; a supporting member between the lower surface of the joist and the bottom of said box; wedge-means between the supporting member and the bottom of said box; and means for automatically moving 25 said wedge 'as the joist shrinks to m-aintain said member in supporting engagement with the lower surface of 'the joist.

5. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 4, including locking means whereby said wedge is 30 prevented from moving outwardly.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, including means for temporarily holding said wedge at its extreme outward position.

'7. Apparatus of the character claimed in claim 35 4, including a ange on one wall of said box.

8. In combination with a joist and a supporting bed therefor: means for temporarily supporting the upper portion of said joist in correct position with respect to the supporting bed, said 40 means including a sheet metal box fastened to said joist near the upper surface thereof, said box resting on said bed; a supporting member 'adjacent the lower surface of the joist; supporting wedge-means between the supporting mern- 45 -ber and the bottom of said box; spring-means for 'automatically moving said supporting wedge as the joist shrinks to maintain said member in supporting engagement with the lower surface of said joist; and locking means whereby said 50 wedge is prevented from moving outwardly.

y 9. In combination with a joist and a supporting bed therefor: means for temporarily supporting thesupper 'portion of s-aid joist in correct position with respect to the supporting bed, said 55 'means including a sheet metal box; supporting wedge means between the joist and the bottom of said box; and means for automatically moving said supporting 'wedge means as the joist shrinks to fill the space between its lower surface and the 50 bottom 'of the box.

10. In combination with a joist and a supporting bed therefor: means for temporarily supporting the upper portion of said joist in correct position with respect to the supporting bed to 55 permit shrinkage of the lower portion of said joist away from said supporting bed; and wedge means between the supporting bed and the bottom of the joist, said means being adapted to fill the space between said bottom and said supporting bed as the joist shrinks.

EDWARD W. WILEY. 

